OKEECHOBEE – In the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 5, a man called the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office stating he had been robbed and his truck was stolen.
Kayla Awilda Tarbell
Kayla Awilda Tarbell, Southeast 38th Avenue, and Charles Lynn Spiva III, 23, Okeechobee, were arrested on felony charges of robbery with a firearm, false imprisonment, unarmed burglary of unoccupied structure and grand theft (motor vehicle). Both of their bonds were set at $27,500.
Charles Spiva, 43, Northwest 32nd Street, and Michael Paul Valdes, 24, Southeast 86th Boulevard, Okeechobee, were both arrested on felony charges of robbery with a firearm and false imprisonment. Both of their bonds were set at $22,500.
According to an arrest report by OCSO Detective Javier Gonzalez, at 3:29 a.m. Aug. 5, an Okeechobee man reported becoming the victim of a robbery and having his truck stolen.
OCSO deputies reportedly responded to the 5200 block of U.S. 441 Southeast and met with the complainant, who said he had been held against his will at a residence by several males and his girlfriend’s daughter, later identified as Tarbell. The report stated that Tarbell took the man’s vehicle after she dropped him off at his home, and he called law enforcement soon after.
Deputy Joel Lacerte transported the victim to the residence where the incident occurred, in the 6600 block of Southeast 86th Boulevard. As Deputy Lacerte drove by the residence, he saw what appeared to be the stolen vehicle in the driveway and a male on the front porch, stated the report. Detective Gonzalez then was contacted to conduct further investigation and requested that all of the residents be transported to the sheriff’s office for interviews.
His investigation determined that Tarbell had contacted the man to pick her up from the incident scene, but he was instead met by several white males. One of the males, Spiva III, reportedly brandished what appeared to be a chrome revolver and pointed it at the man. The man was then ordered to give up all of his money and exit the truck.
The report continued that the man’s truck was then apparently searched by Tarbell and Spiva III for more money.
Charles Spiva
The victim was punched in the back of the head by Spiva III and was searched a second time by Valdes before being led to the passenger side of the truck. While the truck was being searched, the victim was struck again, this time in the right side of the face. The man fell to the ground and was then struck a third time in the face. The report noted that there were visible injuries and swelling was present on the right side of the man’s face.
The report then stated that Spiva III took the man’s cellphone from him and that he was then escorted into the residence by Valdes, where he was held for hours.
During the time he was being kept captive against his will, the man was ordered to strip off his clothes by Spiva III, who checked him for surveillance wires, per the report. Spiva III apparently told the man to give him the keys to his truck and house, as they were supposedly going to check the man’s house for more money. Spiva III and Tarbell then apparently took the keys and left the residence with the man being watched over by Spiva and Valdes, who was supposedly holding a can of pepper spray and told to use it if he tried to escape. Tarbell and Spiva III returned at a later time with some clothing and a bag from the man’s home that belonged to the man’s girlfriend. The pair also brought the man a shirt and shoes and ordered that he shower before putting them on.
The report went on to say that a story was concocted where the man was drunk, falling down and hurting himself. The ruse also was that they asked the man to stay due to his supposed impairment and inability to drive. Tarbell, according to the report, asked the man if he wanted to go home, to which he said he did.
Charles Lynn Spiva III
The report then stated that Tarbell and the man exited the residence. The man noticed, as he went to get into the vehicle to leave, the position of the driver’s seat. Its position alerted the man that Tarbell was the driver when she and Spiva III drove to burglarize his home. The man then asked Tarbell for the location of his phone; she replied it had been broken when he fell down. He then placed the items of clothing he was ordered to remove earlier in the back of the truck, where he was able to locate his phone on the truck bed’s edge. The man was able to conceal his phone in his pocket without Tarbell’s noticing.
Tarbell then told the man she was driving and dropped him off at his residence. While at the man’s home, he tried to dissuade Tarbell from taking the truck by informing her of not being insured as a driver and that she could possibly get into trouble if stopped by law enforcement.
The report concluded that Spiva, Spiva III and Tarbell were arrested, transported and booked into the Okeechobee County Jail on the aforementioned charges.